William Dvorak
William Dvorak, CEO of MVP Engineer, Inc., is a multifaceted business leader, known for his technical prowess and his commitment to nurturing startups. With a focus on identifying market opportunities and crafting innovative solutions, he has made significant contributions to the tech industry. William is not just a software engineer and startup advisor; he is an accomplished business executive, a loyal business partner, a fervent supporter of startups, and social media buzz master. His leadership style is characterized by a dedication to protecting the interests of both clients and employees.
One of William’s core responsibilities is to analyze the market and identify problems that technology can solve. He excels at automating routine tasks; finding a marriage between man and machine, systematizing complex financial, legal, or operational processes, and harnessing machine learning for data-driven applications. In the brainstorming phase, he fosters diverse ideas, ensuring thorough consideration of all possibilities. Furthermore, William critically evaluates these ideas, determining their feasibility and potential for success. Once the focus narrows down to a single problem, William takes charge of designing the technical solution. His results are not only robust and scalable, but also technically defensible, making them challenging for competitors to replicate. He ensures that these solutions adhere to industry best practices, setting high standards for innovation and quality. Fast software at Google quality.
William’s career boasts several significant achievements. Notably, he built the iPhone app for Zagat from the ground up during his tenure at Google. He also paved new paths for Docker builds on the Google Cloud Platform and played a pivotal role in designing and implementing treasury transactions on an append-only ledger for Rho Business Banking.
MVP Engineer, Inc. is a startup studio developing Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) for essentialist entrepreneurs. The name “MVP Engineer” also echoes their reputation as “Most Valued Professionals.” The company comprises a team of skilled engineers and designers who collaborate closely with clients to identify the right problems to solve. Recognized as one of the Top 10 Interim Services Providers of 2023 by Manage HR Magazine, MVP Engineer, Inc. stands out for its expertise in applying commodity machine learning methods to novel business models.
In this interview with William, we delve into his remarkable journey and his company’s mission.
You’ve worked with some of the biggest names in tech, so what inspired you to use your experience and skills to also help startups and entrepreneurs?
Google often follows a predictable and incremental approach to innovation, mainly relying on acquisitions to drive 10x change. For someone with an unconventional mindset like mine, working alongside startups and entrepreneurs appears to be a more promising path. I find that I thrive when collaborating with business owners, who seem to balance “business currency exchange” more. In contrast, managers often have incentives that are at odds with the business’s actual needs, and I’ve noticed they tend not to appreciate my approach. CEOs, on the other hand, approach problems with lateral and divergent thinking, which often leads us to explore unconventional solutions that traverse the entire stack to achieve cost-effective results.
What makes you, or MVP Engineer, unique from others in the field?
My approach centers on sharp focus. When clients present a multitude of ideas, instead of building and expanding on them, I prioritize and streamline the feature list. We then concentrate on one idea, and I emphasize the importance of validating it through sales before investing further resources. We engage in a collaborative brainstorming process with the client, going beyond mere feature implementation. This approach fosters a creative environment where the ultimate objective is achieving “User-Oriented Collaborative Design,” rather than solely accumulating ongoing work from the client. Our process is efficacious, since I’ve designed it to be mechanical and systematized.
You’re not just helping them from an arms-length, you have skin in the game as well in the form of startup Wage Notes. Tell us about this.
I engage in compensation arrangements that involve both cash and equity, which helps align incentives and foster a long-term partnership. One such arrangement is what we call a “wage note,” which combines elements of a convertible note and a co-founder contract. Essentially, it allows me to exchange my expertise for equity in the company, with the specific value of that equity being determined during a future investment round. This approach ensures that my contributions are directly tied to the company’s success and growth.
Your business has seen significant growth in the last 12 months, and that seems to coincide with some radical personal and physical changes. Can you tell us more?
I have no doubt that these are cosmically linked. I lost 80 pounds and more than doubled my testosterone. Ice baths cured my depression, the gym fixed my discipline, apple cider vinegar curbed my appetite, sex transmutation motivates me on my 36 keys. Hunting discomfort is the name of the game. This coupled with some near-death stress situations where all control is relinquished has shown me that the rest of my life is all dessert. I have no choice but to give it all away.
Understood. Your personal life sounded fascinating from our discussion. I’ve heard chatter that you’re a bit of a ladies’ man. What’s the story?
When I’m not immersed in coding or equity negotiations, I obsess over romantic gestures. I believe in the power of channeling one’s sexual energy into productive endeavors–sex transmutation. So I save my energy for the right girls. My first love, unrequited, ended in tragedy. She got involved with someone else and her story ended with a car crash. After 18 years, I still carry a sense of responsibility for not being there to save her.
Back to business. What is the most common challenge startups and entrepreneurs face in turning their ideas into marketable reality? How are you helping them make the leap?
Clients often come to me with aspirations of conducting market research, engaging with investors, or conducting competitive analysis. My approach involves taking immediate action by developing a functional prototype and presenting it to real customers. The key is to encourage customers to invest in the product, demonstrating its value through actual monetary transactions. This pragmatic approach aims to avoid getting stuck in unproductive contemplation for extended periods. I’m dedicated to helping clients achieve tangible results by proving the concept’s viability through real-world implementation and customer payments.
What do you enjoy most about your work, or what drives you?
I derive immense satisfaction from creating tools that have a broad and positive impact, such as my open source Unsubscribe Robot that has benefited tens of thousands. I rest easy at night knowing that my efforts result in positive feedback from customers and from my employees. Witnessing their frequent promotions and personal growth is uplifting. I view my clients as part of my extended team. Witnessing others attain the personal and professional success I’ve achieved is rewarding.
William Dvorak
CEO
MVP Engineer, Inc.
Website: https://mvpengineer.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wdvorak/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mvpengineer
Instagram: @sunnystoic
Twitter: @mvp_engineer